Angel of the Devil
by Kisa-June
Summary: Its been 3 days since the battle that Hao and Yoh had and it seems as though the major threat is gone, until a new evil rears its ugly head and Yoh acquired the help of an unlikely ally.
1. The Finding of Hao

Hello, June here… this is a rather old story that I found one day on my flash drive that I thought I would like to complete, so I fixed it and I hope you like it… it is funny, sad, and sweet… Enjoy!

A/N: events in this story take place after the events that occurred in the tv show that 4Kids aired almost a millennia ago… that just tells you how old this thing is, how obsessed I was, AND how bored one can get when they have nothing better to do on the internet but type an old story! XD

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King or its characters…

Chapter 1-The Finding of Hao

'_Where…where am I? ...am I dead? …why can't I move? …I don't feel pain…either I'm dead…or…I'm in so much pain I can't feel it…'_

In the middle of a vast forest in a place called the Patch Village, was a clearing. In this clearing, there was a pile of rubble where, unknowingly, an almost dead Hao Asakura was lying in a huge puddle of blood. It was pooling around his spread out long, brown hair. A humongous gash was in his chest that was caused by his younger brother, Yoh Asakura, in heated battle that occurred a few days earlier.

Also in that clearing were three figures. The first figure was tall, strong with long, brown hair. His body was surrounded by five animal spirits. A turtle and a snake were on his arms; the turtle on his left and the snake on his right. A coyote and a bull were on each of his legs, and an eagle was on his shoulders. The other two were smaller than the first; they could only touch his knee with their hand if they were really trying. They were the same in size, weight and age. Their hair was in a single braid and they were running around like headless chickens.

"LIP! RAP! GET OVER HERE!" the man said to the two little girls. "You'll have to catch us first, Sylva!" Lip said, arms spread wile running to the left. "Yea, Silva, catch us!" Rap said, arms also spread out and running to the pile of rubble where Hao lay.

"It's too dangerous over there, Rap, get back here now!" shouted Silva while chasing Lip and finally getting her using his snake spirit as a lasso.

"Ha! You can't catch…" all of a sudden she tripped over Hao, who gave a low moan of pain that only Rap could hear.

"What the…what was that!" Rap started to panic as Silva and Lip joined her. When they caught up to her, they couldn't see Hao; there wasn't much to see in the first place considering he was under a huge pile of rubble. But what they did see was the giant pool of blood that was coming from him for two reasons; #1- it was a different color than the ground, so, duh. And #2- Rap was sitting in it.

"Rap?" Lip said, trying to stifle her giggles. "You're sitting in a pool of blood."

Rap screamed. She jumped and tripped over Hao again, who gave another moan of pain, a little louder this time so all three could hear him.

"THE ROCKS ARE ALIVE!" Lip and Rap screamed, running, once again, like headless chickens.

Silva got closer to the pool of blood and started looking for the source. A minute later, he found Hao. He didn't recognize him at first; his face was covered all over with dry blood. Silva took a flask of water that was labeled _Lip _and put it to his mouth. Amazingly, Hao drank it quickly as if his life depended on it, because, well, it was. Then, Silva took Rap's flask and washed his face.

He gasped. "Hao!" he whispered in surprise. He looked at his chest and saw the cut that Yoh put there a few days ago. He checked his heart rate and his breathing. He could barely feel his pulse and his breathing was very faint.

Silva, taking pity on Hao (even though Hao never took pitty on any person in his life) picked him up. "Is he going to be O.K.?" Rap asked, looking at Hao's wound.

"I don't know. His wound is really deep. He's on the edge of death. I might be able to stop the bleeding, though."

They started on their way home, Silva was flying, Hao in his arms. Hao was not used to this sensation, though he knew he had felt it before. It was he feeling of being weightless. '_Where am I going? Who is carrying me? Are they rescuing me? Do they know who I am?'_

Silva finally arrived in the Patch Village near sunset and took the injured Asakura to his hut and put him on the bed in the small room. The bed was not very comfortable, so as soon as Hao was on it, he began to moan in pain.

"Shit!" Silva ran to the kitchen and got the first aid kit from the herb cupboard. He also grabbed the scissors and ran back to Hao (remember kids, don't do what Sylva just did, its bad to run with scissors… unless you fell the need and are trying to save some lowlife's life XD). He knelt next to Hao and took off his rags that he had on. Blood was pouring all over the sheets and Silva knew he didn't have long to try.

"Silver Wing!" an eagle appeared, "You, Silver Shield, Silver Rod, and Silver Horn will hold him down." They started yelling in protest.

"Why should we, Silva!" the snake answered, "All he'll do to us is kill us if he is fully healed!"

"I agree with Silver Rod," the turtle said, "This will only bring us death." Silver Horn grunted in agreement.

"It is my duty as a Patch to heal all those who need the help, friend or enemy!" He yelled at them, "and he might be past help by now, I just…" he stared at the pained face, "I want to see if he can change if he is shown kindness, for once."

The animals did as they were told and Silva began trying to heal Hao. It took many pain staking hours and close calls later, but Silva sat down on a seat not too far from Hao, who had finally stabilized and was resting peacefully. This was only half the battle, though. Silva looked to the rising sun, thinking on how he could possibly keep Hao safe. The Shaman King Tournament would start up in 2 weeks time, and all would love to know for sure that Hao was dead as a door nail. If they sensed his mana, they would surely come after him. Silva sighed and threaded his fingers through his hair.

"Silva," Silver Wing said to break the silence, "Hao is awake, unfortunately…" Silva went to the side of the bed and looked at the pathetic looking man with bandages around his torso, neck, and parts of his arms. Hao was also looking at the sunrise.

"I thought…" he said with a dry weak voice, "I would never see… one of… those ever again…" he winced, then turned his head slowly towards Silva. "I heard what you… said to the spirits…" he looked at him sternly, "you meant what you said… right?"

Silva looked shocked. He thought that Hao was completely unconscious. He then gained composure and nodded, "yes, I want to see if you can change…"

There was silence, then Hao smiled, a bit of pain showed, but he smiled, none the less. "I don't promise anything, I am not a miracle worker, a leopard cannot change his spots…"

"Sure enough," Silva said, crossing his arms, "but remember not to count your chickens before they hatch. Apparently, I am a miracle worker. I am no doctor, but I managed to keep you alive long enough to stop the bleeding and stabilize you. Maybe," Silva stared at the spot where the swirling energy that was the Great Spirit used to reside, "the Great Spirit still has something in store for you."


	2. Change and Discovery

Hello there! I was jumping around like a Mexican Jumping Bean when I saw the reviews for this story! XD I want to thank personally **nami-rena**, **starangel1765**, and **Patriciasdreams **for reviewing this story that I made up 4 years ago and are just now putting up. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King at all…

Chapter 2- Change and Discovery

Hao looked out the window next to where he lay in the small little adobe house. He could remember very little of the past week that he lay there. He kept fading in and out and remembered what he had said to Silva and what he said in return. He wasn't to sure of what he had said before he passed out once again, but he was sure it was some sort of deep and meaningful bull that Silva was trained to say like something about the Great Spirit and destiny, the Patch were so predictable. The only reason he was awake now was because Silva was entertaining Lip and Rap and was failing in keeping them quiet. He also felt rather hungry.

"Silva! Do it again!" the twins yelled in unison as the tall man recovered from his fall with his near death experience.

"I do that again and I might die! I will not!" he got up on jelly legs and looked to where Hao lay. The man was awake and staring out the window. Silva sighed. _I thought I told them to be quiet when I came in… unfortunately they NEVER listen to me…_

He walked around to see the Asakura. His face was calm and unmoving, almost sad in a way. It was only when Hao trained his eyes on Silva that he knew he was fully aware of his presence next to his bed.

"I hunger," he said bluntly. He could never forgive any Patch for banishing him from this village, even if it was 500 years past and the only being that remembered that fate of his was The Great Spirit. Silva laughed and stood up.

"You don't have to be so moribund about it, you can ask politely, ya'know," Hao turned his head to look at Silva. Why was he acting like this? "C'mon, now, Hao. You got to ask politely or you won't get food!"

Hao growled, "Why should I be polite to you? A Patch?" Silva seemed to smile sinisterly. It sent a shiver down Hao's spine. No one dared to ever look at him like that.

"Because I could have left you out there to die, couldn't I?" He leaned in closer to whisper into Hao's ear, "and if I wanted to, I could just strangle you to death, beat you to a bloody pulp, but I won't because there wouldn't have been a point in me saving your worthless hide, now would there?" He leaned back and stared at the now pale Asakura. "So! About that politeness issue you seem to be having trouble with?"

He really hated the Patch now, but what he said was true. He could have left him there, but he didn't. And he did have enough strength to kill him if he wished considering Hao's weak state. There was absolutely no getting around the fact that he owed his life to the Patch, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was thankful. He sighed heavily and looked to Silva.

"May I… have something to eat?" he finally said a little reluctance in his voice. Silva smiled and turned to the kitchen.

"Sure thing, Hao! I have a feeling this will be a wondrous full week!"

**PAGE BREAK!**

One morning a week later, Hao woke up with a groan. It wasn't because he was tired from working or had an upset stomach, but because his head was throbbing and the light was making it worse. He wanted to roll over and shield his face, but when he tried to move, he was still hurting, so he groaned some more.

Silva, who was in the chair next to the bed, woke up to Hao's groans. He looked to the Asakura, wondering what he was groaning for.

"Why…" Hao said in a mixture of anger and a groan. Silva rubbed his eyes and stared more clearly at Hao.

"What's wrong?" he looked at him, but Hao didn't answer. Silva glared at him, then cleared his throat loudly. Hao didn't answer.

Truth was, Hao had no idea what was wrong with him. He wanted to tell Silva, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He shielded his eyes and looked to the tall man. They stared at each other for a wile, then Silva nodded, then got up.

"I'll go get Motrin for you, you might just have a migraine," He left the hut and left Hao alone. It had been a week, but Hao was much better physically and with others. He had changed all because he had given him a second chance to redeem himself, and a few death threats to make sure that he cooperated didn't hurt either.

Hao was happier than he had ever been in his life. Not only was he felling better than he had done in the past week, but he had been given a second chance to live. Sure, a Patch Indian helped him, but he felt it fair that he be nice to Silva, but he had made a mistake. The front door had been left unlocked.

_Oh this is just fantastic! What if some unwanted person were to walk in and find me here!_ But he didn't have to wait long for that. A man came walking in. Hid build was huge and his nose was huge and defined. Hao recognized him as Kalim, one of the Shaman Officiates.

"Silva?" his voice was deep and booming. Hao slid the covers over his head in an attempt to hide himself. "Silva, I brought what you…" Hao's heart skipped a beat. He knew the man had noticed him in the bed. The Asakura could feel his heart beat quicken and hear it ringing in his ears. He broke out in a sweat as he saw the huge shadow hang over him. Hao closed his eyes, not wanting to get caught but now knew the inevitable.

"Kalim? Ummm… what are you doing?" Hao almost jumped when he heard Silva's voice, but greatly resisted the urge. The shadow disappeared and Kalim greeted him and handed over what he was to give him.

"Is that all, Kalim?" Silva asked, a bit of tension in his voice. There is a pause, then Silva pipes up again, "What else does Goldva require of us?" a touch of wining in his voice.

"It's important," the sound of chairs being dragged was heard. Hao peaked out of the covers to see what was going on. He noticed that Kalim had his back to him, so he poked his head through. "You owe me for this, Silva, no one is supposed to know this, but I trust you so I will tell you." Silva sat down facing Kalim and Hao, looking serious.

"It's about Hao Asakura." Silva almost fell out of his seat and Hao almost fainted. _Do they know? How do they know?_

"Apparently, some of our fellow officiates wanted to see how the ground where the Great Spirit used to reside was doing and to see if Hao's body was still there," Kalim paused, then leaned back in the seat. "He's no longer there, but there is a huge patch of dried blood where we suspect he lay. He is either dead or he found enough energy to lift the rocks, though I doubt he did it himself. You were there, Silva, right? You saw the fight…" Silva nodded, then looked nervously over to Hao. Hao knew all to well that he didn't have the strength.

"Thank you, Kalim, I will keep an eye out for him or any sign of him," they both got up and Hao hid under the covers again. _Just leave, forget that you were trying to find out what I was…_

"By the way, I thought that was you in the bed, who is it?" Hao temporarily forgot how to breathe. Him and his big mouth, metaphorically speaking.

"Um… that's nothing, just a doll," Silva's voice had panicked note in it. The shadow, once again, appeared over Hao and this time, a hand grabbed the sheets.

"Can I see it, then?" Kalim started lifting the sheets. Hao, once again, closed his eyes.

"NO!" Kalim stopped his actions. "It's supposed to be a surprise!" There wasn't much conviction in his voice. Kalim laughed loudly.

"Too bad! Not anymore!" and before Silva could stop him, Kalim pulled the covers off of Hao.

**A/N**: Done! Haha! Cliff hanger fetish… Hope you enjoyed and I have a poll up somewhere… I cant remember how to get to it, but please vote on it… your opinions matter to me so I will try to make you, the readers, happy… and sorry about the weird page break… my comp was not computing the way I wanted it to… THX!


	3. What Now, Smart Guy?

Ok… this is where I go completely nuts… end of year exams, stories to update… its going absolutely loco around here… so I hope you guys forgive me for being soooooo late, cause I am in a mad spin cycle and my head is hurting… once again, thank you for baring with me here…

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King, though the idea of my men name came from Tao Jun…

Chapter 3: What Now, Smart Guy?

"This is treachery, Sylva!"

"Kalim, please! I have my reasons!"

"For what? Turning on us?"

"That's not what-"

"Cause that's what it looks like to me!"

"Would you two little girls stop arguing! You are not helping my headache!"

Sylva and Kalim looked to the bedridden Hao, who was on the verge of opening a can of whoopass on them, despite the amount of pain he would be in himself. Sylva pushed passed Kalim and handed him the bottle of aspirin and Hao was tempted to hit Sylva with it then down the entire condense, but didn't like the idea he would OD on it, to he only hit Sylva.

"How did you survive that fight with your brother, Yoh?" Kalim finally asked after Hao took the aspirin.

"Barely," he looked to Sylva, who nodded as to say continue, "Lip and Rap tripped over my almost dead body. Sylva brought me here to recover. He-" he paused, not wanting to really admit it, but it had to be said, "He saved my life… I am in his debt…"

There was silence, then Kalim walked over to where the bedridden Asakura lay. He just stared at the man lying there with his bandages and bruises, then left the hut.

"Aren't you gonna stop him?" Hao pleaded with the Patch. He held up his finger, then went running out the door, making sure this time to close the door.

Hours passed and when Sylva finally came back, it was well passed midnight. He looked at the sleeping Asakura with sad eyes. He slumped in the chair next to him and closed his eyes. He wasn't tired; he couldn't be, not now. Too much had happened.

"I am sorry, Hao. They don't see what I see." Sylva thought back to earlier.

_Six Hours Before…_

_Sylva ran up to Kalim, who had always been slower than him, even without Silver Tail's help._

"_Please don't do what I think you are gonna do Kalim, don't tell the chief! Give him a chance!" Sylva pleaded, but Kalim pretended not to hear. "By the name of the Great Spirit will you just stop and listen to me?"_

_Kalim stopped and turned to face him. His face was unusually calm, but Kalim's calm is never a good sign._

"_Why should I listen to you, you are obviously not listening to your own voice of reason," he stepped forward, Sylva stood his ground. "Why should I pay attention to the likes of you, you betrayed everyone with him being there, regaining health… plotting against us… he's got you wrapped around his little finger, and you don't even realize you are. I am doing this for your sake, my friend," that's when Sylva stood back. Kalim looked at him questioningly._

"_Friend? What kind of friend are you who won't listen to my reason, no matter how bizarre it is? What kind of person are you that would turn your back on a hurt creature, no matter what they did in the past! I am giving him something that he should have gotten a long time ago- a second chance!"_

_Kalim just turned and went on his way._

"_KALIM!" Sylva yelled, but this time, Kalim didn't turn around. Sylva fell to his knees and bowed his head. He knew Kalim was stubborn at the best of times, but this was the first time Sylva could not sway him._

"_Oh, Kalim… if only…" he got up. His time was now limited, he knew what to do._

There was a loud bang at the door, then it flew off its hinges. Five Masked Patch men ran in like a trained SWAT team.

"Clear! There is no one here, sir!" one yelled. They looked around to see any evidence of where the former inhabitance left, but everything was gone, as if no one ever lived there.

Kalim and Chief Goldva walked in and looked around. Kalim went to the bed and looked at its blood stained mattress.

"We were right about one thing, Hao was severely injured, Sylva couldn't move him too far without risking new open wounds," Kalim said, touching the stains. Goldva looked at the fridge.

"All he left here is butter and a few leftovers," he turned and beckoned to them all to come closer. "This is a new situation. No doubt Sylva will try to inform Yoh Asakura of what has happened, so I will send this out to all Shaman King Tournament Contestants; 'Attention: Beware of former Shaman King Officiate, Sylva. He is in cohorts with Hao Asakura, who has been recently discovered to still be alive. If you have the advantage, and it is against all that we Patch believe, kill them on site.'"

Hey! Not bad for a headache ridden late night typing! Hope you all enjoy the wondrous plot twist!


	4. For Better or For Worse, Maybe?

Hola one and all! I kinda promised this for like 3 weeks ago, but better late than never, I guess… oh! If you have any suggestions on what I should do, feel free to tell me! XD ONWARD BOUND!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King…

Chapter 4: For Better or For Worse, maybe?

Hao moaned in pain as he remembered he was no longer on that soft bed in the Patch Village. It had been a week since they left and Sylva found that the more Hao moved, the worse he got, but they had no choice, the patch were after them.

They were in the middle of a desert and Sylva had insisted that all of their water rassion went to Hao, and wouldn't take no for an answer when the elder said otherwise.

"Even you need it," he groaned, barely conscious. Sylva grimaced at the sound of his voice, barely audible and hoarse. They were almost out of water as it was, they had to find a town, fast, cause Hao needed medical attention past Sylva's basic knowledge or he possibly wouldn't last a day or two.

The sound of a motor was music to Sylva's ears as a pick up truck pulled up beside them and an old parson and his wife came out to help them.

"Poor dear," the old woman said looking at the now unconscious Hao, "what happened to her?"

Sylva tried to stifle a laugh as he heard the woman call Hao a girl, but if it kept him safe…

"She got hurt pretty badly by a rockslide," he placed Hao in the back gently, as to not hurt him more than he was. "I tried to patch her up at home, but I fear her life is in danger. Can you take me to the nearest doctor?"

The couple nodded and Sylva jumped in the back and moved Hao as to have his head on his own lap. They drove off in relative silence until the parson spoke up.

"How long have you two been together?" Sylva didn't quite get the question, but answered as best as he could.

"About two, three weeks, maybe?" Sylva had to think back to when Lip and Rap tripped over the ill fated former Patch.

"Awe! A modern Romeo with his Juliet! How romantic!"

Sylva's eyes widened. He was in NO WAY affiliated with Hao like that! He tried to think of an excuse for them being on the run, but the parson did it for him.

"Honey, they have just met, all he wants is medical attention for his friend, that just so happens to be a girl. Don't always jump to the conclusion that every boy and girl on the side of the road is eloping, kay?" The old woman pouted and crossed her arms, just like a child would.

"Fine, but maybe…" she trailed off and was silent for a minute, "nah, just left my mind, darn my old age…"

"I don't know about that ma'am," came a hoarse girly voice from Sylva's lap. How long had Hao been awake? "Compared to some people I have met, you are a spring chicken."

Sylva leaned down to look Hao in the face, "How long have you been awake?" he whispered. Hao just chuckled the best that he could and lightly slapped Sylva on the cheek.

"I dunno, _my Romeo_, can you guess?" the tone and look in his eyes gave the impression that when he was better, Sylva wouldn't be. Said person gulped and sat up straight, a film of sweat covered his brow and he was paler than a sheet of paper.

When they finally arrived in the town, Sylva carried Hao into the church the parson worked in and went into the back room where he lay Hao on the table.

"My wife will be back with the doctor," and the parson left the two alone.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Hao mumbled aloud.

"Why? We're in a church," Sylva stared at his companion, who just stared back.

"Exactly, Sylva. Me and churches have a bad history," and, just as he said that, a soft voice with the touch of a German accent spoke behind them.

"Allow me to make them worse for you, then," Sylva turned and looked at the man behind them. Dark bags under his eyes, light blonde hair, a tattoo around his neck, a lab coat that opened up to see what self surgery had done to him.

"Guten tag, Sylva, it has been a wile," said Faust VIII, "and Auf Wiedersehen!"

Sorry for my cliffhanger fetish! I hope you enjoy!

Guten tag (Just as you say it) - hello

Auf Wiedersehen (au vitezain) - good bye


	5. A Helping Hand from Unexpected Places

Hello and this is overdue XD Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer- I do not own Shaman King!

Chapter 5- A Helping Hand from Unexpected Places

"Faust! Wait!" a voice came from behind the tall German, who turned to look at the source. A boy with brown hair, similar but shorter than Hao's own, with his white shirt open and exposing his torso and his pants rolled up at the ankles with wooden sandals on his feet appeared in the door. He had a pair of orange noise canceling headphones on his head, but not covering his ears. He stepped forward and looked at Hao, but talked to the blonde.

"Treat him, Faust." There was a collective gasp as Faust was about to complain, but the boy raised his hand to stop him. "Do it, Faust. Trust me." He smiled, and then turned his attentions to Sylva. "Can we talk elsewhere wile Faust heals Hao?" Sylva nodded and followed the boy out the room.

"Thank you, Yoh." He said as soon as they left the room. Yoh sighed ant turned to Sylva and said something that surprised him.

"Tell me what's going on so I know that I haven't made the biggest mistake in my life." He showed the pager on his arm, which had a message stating:_Attention:__Beware__of__former__Shaman__King__Officiate,__Sylva.__He__is__in__cohorts__with__Hao__Asakura,__who__has__been__recently__discovered__to__still__be__alive.__If__you__have__the__advantage,__kill__upon__approach._

Sylva nodded and told him everything, the finding of Hao, how he wanted to see if he could change, how he had seen him change, how Kalim discovered him and told Chief Goldva, and how they had been on the run ever since. This story took about forty minutes to tell and by the time it was finished, Faust had come through, looking somewhat tired.

"The wound was slightly infected, which was causing him the pain. I am guessing you did the original work in him Sylva?" the Patch nodded. "I see," he paused then said as Sylva was about to complain, "If you hadn't found him in time and did what you did, he wouldn't have made it this far. You may be an amateur, but you did quite well in helping him. His body must have been in trauma from the loss of blood." The last part was more to himself than to anyone else, but it made Sylva feel better.

They sat in silence for a wile, taking in the scenery, not knowing what to do. Yoh was thinking, or his mind was blank, but Sylva thought he was thinking. Faust was relating looking at the altar that was draped in white. Sylva himself was not relaxed, for depending on what Yoh said, depended on what would happen to Hao and himself. Yoh had changed a bit after that fight with Hao all those months ago, so Sylva had no clue what to think.

Yoh suddenly got up and went into the room where Hao was sleeping or whatever and closed the door behind him. Sylva and Faust, both looking confused, got up to go to the door, but before they got out of the isle, Yoh stuck his head out. "I wish to speak to him alone," and closed the door again. Both men sat back down and sighed.

"I know that you are a Patch and you hate to bring harm to others," Faust brought up and Sylva looked at the German from the corner of his eye. "Why did you trust me to save him?"

Sylva answered bluntly, "I didn't," Faust looked to him. "I had to believe in your better judgment to save a human life. You felt his manna, didn't you? It isn't the same. Not as severe as before." Faust smiled a sickly sweet smile and chuckled a bit.

"I did notice that, yes," he looked to the door. "I realized why you saved him. Maybe he could change, if given the chance."

"I am trying, and it may help that he is trying, too, but now-" he stopped short as Yoh stepped out of the back room.

"He's changed, a lot. What did you do to him? His manna is all different!" He sounded shocked but surprisingly happy.

"I just gave him a second chance. Sometimes that's what people need." He said. Yoh just nodded.

"Faust, we are going to protect them." Both men were shocked, in different ways but still shocked.

"Unglaublich! Why? We will be putting ourselves in danger if we help them!" Sylva said nothing as Yoh nodded.

"I have a feeling that maybe this was meant to happen. Let's go tell the others what's going on. I am going to need you two to protect Hao till he gets better; there will be many people with us that will not be convinced of his change." Yoh didn't need to explain who, Sylva knew who exactly would try; Horohoro and Ren. Anna would be doubtful, but take out her rage on others. Manta would probably faint. The others he wasn't too sure about, but readied himself for the worst anyway.

Yoh left the church and came back an hour later with a crowd of people, including Manta, Anna, his ghost partner Amidamaru, Ren with Bason, and Horohoro with Kororo. They approached where Sylva and Faust stood, all eyes were on Sylva.

"So, I hear you are innocent of treachery," Anna said first, but before he could answer, Anna had slapped Sylva across the face, throwing him off balance. Faust helped steady him; maybe the doctor wasn't so bad. "Why should we believe you? You are obviously not of sound mind."

Sylva nearly exploded with rage. "Not you, too! You, young lady, are as close minded as Kalim is! Just because I helped a dying man automatically makes me a traitor in your eyes? The way I see it is I helped someone in need, not aided an enemy. Hao has changed, I can sense it, and so can Faust and Yoh. If I am not mistaken in your way of thinking, that means they are not of sound mind. Last I checked, even with Faust's crazy history, he can treat anybody better than any modern doctor I have seen, and that takes skill. Yoh may have his moments of laziness, as you, his fiancée, know of, but when it gets down to it, he can be as determined as the best of them. If that makes them crazy then I don't know what normal is anymore!"

Everyone was speechless after Sylva's little monologue at Anna. Faust had a bit of color to his face, looking somewhat embarrassed; Manta was, on the other hand, colorless. Horohoro's jaw was dangerously close to the ground. Ren's eyes were wide, which for him was the equivalent to Horohoro's jaw. Yoh just nervously laughed wile scratching his head. The ghosts of the room had backed away a bit, afraid of the Miko's wrath. Sylva stood his ground, but his mind was mentally slapping him for what he said. Anna was, though, surprisingly speechless. She had never imagined such a comeback. They stood there for a bit until a voice broke them out of their perpetual shock.

"What does a guy need to do to get sleep? People keep yelling and I am still trying to rest!" They all turned to see Hao, quite pale, leaning in the frame of the doorway. Faust ran to him and silently scolded him for being up. Both entered the back room and closed the door.

"Well, was I the only one who sensed that?" Horohoro piped up. Ren nodded.

"His manna is not as intense as before. It's calmer, but weaker, maybe because of his state." Ren said this more to himself, but it was audible to the others.

"Hid demeanor is also different," Amidamaru said in response. "Before, I don't think he would have shown us his weakness, even on death's door. But now, not so much." Bason just nodded in agreement.

"So, is everyone in agreement?" everyone, including Anna, nodded. "Then it's settled! Sylva and Hao are traveling with us!" Yoh turned to Sylva. "Do you still have your ghosts on you? Haven't seen them in a wile."

Sylva shook his head. "Not all of them, if I did, I would have flown here, as opposed to walking. Silver Shield, Silver Tail and Silver Horn are still with me. Silver Rod and Silver Wing left after I helped Hao out the first week. But they haven't betrayed me, otherwise I would have been discovered sooner. I think Lip and Rap keep them updated on stuff." He looked to the closest stain glass window as to look outside. "I wonder what's going on with them anyway?"

_Meanwhile…_

There was a loud crash in the forest near the Patch Village. Animals were fleeing in all directions, some took to the sky, others ran as fast as they could. Two creatures in the sky were unlike all the rest, but were frightened all the same. A huge, black hand reached for the two, but the eagle flapped as hard as it could, still carrying the snake in its claws being careful not to aggravate it too much.

"Faster, Silver Wing, or it will surely catch us!" the snake yelled at the eagle. It growled in anger, but flapped harder all the same.

"Shut your fangs, Silver Rod, what do you think I am doing? A leisure flight?" Just as he finished that statement, he was yanked back, Silver Fang screamed in anguish as the black hand had grabbed her and the claws of Silver Wing and were both beginning to be pulled back down.

"Silver Wing! You have to let go of me!" the snake yelled, writhing in pain.

"No! I am not going anywhere without you!" Silver Wing flapped harder, but it was no use.

"Please! One of us has to tell Sylva what's going on! It can't be me, it has to be you!"

and with that, she mustered all the strength left in her and bit a pressure point in the eagle's leg, and he automatically let go. Before she bit the next one she said, just loud enough for Silver Wing to hear, "Goodbye, old friend." With that, she was gone.

Silver Wing shot up into the air as fast as he could in the direction of Sylva's aura. "Don't worry, Silver Rod, your sacrifice will not be in vain." He continued to fly, his claws not only sporting bite marks, but a purplish black ooze where the hand had touched him.

_End of Chapter 5_

And so the plot thickens! Thank you for reading and sorry for the slow update. I typed this on a plane so I couldn't remember some of the names. FORGIVE ME!

Please review, I might update faster. I might do that anyway cause I just got my creative juices flowing again!


	6. Healing and Trust

Hello one and all! This is glorious chapter 6… I actually never thought I'd get this far, to be honest… This is so old and it is weird that the idea has stuck with me for so long… Thank you all my loyal readers and I now will stop to let you continue your regular scheduled fanfiction reading.

Oh, I am introducing a character from another manga I grew up with… I highly recommend you read it if you think the character sounds interesting. It is actually rated really high, like 16+, but I started reading it when I was nine, and I thought he would fit in to the story. Sorry if he is out of character in one place, but I think this justified due to the situation he is in. No flames about it, kay?

Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN!

* * *

Chapter 6- Healing and Trust

Sylva stayed under wary eyesight as Hao healed. He never thought the others would be so wary of him, but he guessed it was just precaution.

"Sylva, can you help me with this?" Hao was sitting up in a hotel bed, trying to get his pillows just right. The room was small with only one bed, and since Hao was still injured, Sylva was on the couch much to Hao's disapproval.

He walked over to the man and helped him. "I'm glad you feel better enough to still complain." Hao shot him a dagger filled glare.

"I will do that till my dieing breath, it is in my nature to be a pain in the ass." Both men laughed. It was the first time both had relaxed in weeks, but they weren't out of the clear yet.

"Is there something bothering you two?" A voice behind Sylva said, making said man jump. Faust walked in and began helping prop up Hao. He checked Hao's bandages and looked to Sylva, who seemed deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about, Sylva. You have been out of it for a wile now. It is unlike you." Sylva sighed; he reached into his pocket and pulled out what used to be a snake's jaw bones. The bones were fractured into five separate pieces.

"Two nights ago, I woke up in a cold sweat due to a dream I had. I can't remember it well, but I do remember hearing Silver Rod screaming. I can't help but worry now because when I woke up, this shattered. It must be a sign. And look at this." He put the jaws away and pulled out his feather from his bandana. The part that had been hidden from view looked as though it had been eaten by acid. This made Faust stop and grab the feather to examine it clearly.

"I expect something has happened to them, otherwise that probably wouldn't have happened." Faust stated as he continued to examine the feather. Hao looked concerned as he looked out the window. He then gasped, making the Patch and Doctor jump and look at what had caused Hao to gasp. What they saw made Sylva pale and Faust jump into action, running from the room calling Anna.

"By the gods, Silver Wing, what happened to your claws?" Silver Tail asked as Anna examined said claws. The small room was crowded now with the three original inhabitants- Sylva, Faust and Hao- with the addition of the injured Silver Wing, Silver Tail to help prop up his friend, Anna who was looking at the strange substance on Silver Wing's claws, Yoh had been dragged half way unconscious by Anna and was now recovering on the couch rubbing what would surely be a nasty rug burn and randomly Pai Long was standing in the corner of the room, because there wasn't much else he could do.

"Something big and black was chasing after us-"

"Us? You mean Silver Rod was with you?" Sylva looked at his spirit in shock when his face morphed into a look of pain.

"Yes, but it grabbed us, mainly Silver Rod, but grabbed me in the process. Its touch burns spirits, so that's how I got that." He flapped a wing to his claws. Anna nodded in agreement.

"They look like Spirit Burns, but I've never seen them like this before. When a spirit gets like this, it looks like any burn that a living being would get. But this," she pointed to the claws, "it's like his leg was hit with this weird black acid and ate it away like if normal acid hit metal and ate away at it, leaving nothing. The tips of his claws still move as though nothing happened to the rest of his claws, which suggests it doesn't act like any normal acid." She stopped in her musing, then poked the empty spot, causing the bird spirit to jerk his leg back in protest.

Wile everyone looked at Silver Wing, Yoh and Pai Long looked to Hao, who looked pale at what had been said to them all about the condition of Silver Wing's claws. Both of them squeezed past everyone to get to the man.

"Is there something up, Hao?" Yoh asked. Hao sighed then turned to his younger brother.

"That black creature," he saddened a bit, "I know what it is." Before he could continue though, Faust came up and told the others he needed rest and to take his medicine.

"Tell us tomorrow, okay?" Yoh said, but Hao looked away sadly.

"You wouldn't believe me, anyway." Yoh sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Sure we will, Hao. Everything else you have said is true, why wouldn't we trust you with something this important?" and he left as Hao's medicine began to kick in, making him drowsy.

* * *

_Cold… why is it cold? Everything was black say for the mist swirling at his feet._

"_You seem lost…" a familiar voice rang through the darkness. He looked around, confused. The voice chuckled lightly, making him feel as though he could trust the voice._

"_Who are you?" his voice seemed disembodied, distant._

"_I am a friend, can you trust me?" he felt himself nod. "How can you trust me if you have never met me?"_

"_You sound trust worthy, besides, you could have killed me or something along those lines already. I obviously have no defense." The voice, which was deep and flowed like, dare he say, blood, chuckled again._

"_You and I are very similar. I was a blood thirsty killer in my time in Edo. I killed many men, women and children. I didn't care who got in my way, I felt unstoppable, until I met a swordsman that was greater than myself. I was trapped in his body for a long time, and changed my outlook of other people. I began to trust others to an extent and vice versa. May I join you in your quest?"_

_The other thought for a bit, then nodded. A figure formed out of the darkness, a samurai with long crimson hair and eyes that burned burgundy. He held a sword that was easily seven foot long._

"_My name is Kyo, Demon Eyes Kyo. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Hao Asakura."_

* * *

Hao woke with a start. It was good he was almost fully healed, otherwise he would have screamed from the pain he would have been in. He winced, holding his side, and looked around. There was nothing out of the ordinary, so what had that dream been about?

The sun wasn't out yet, so to bide the time, he got up out of bed- something Faust would have killed him about- and decided to take a shower. It wasn't until he looked in the mirror that he saw something in the corner of the room. He turned on the spot to see a seven foot long sword, propped up there like it had always been there.

Walking over to it, he noticed things were a little too quiet. He walked through to the living area and almost fainted.

Standing in front of a dumb struck Sylva, who had felt the presence of the stranger, was the samurai from his dream. Clothed in his bloody samurai garb, he turned to see Hao in the doorway, and nodded his head.

"You hoped I was a dream, didn't you." His voice was still the same, only with a taunting edge to it.

"No, I knew it was a dream. I just didn't think you would be here yet, and I would have to find you." Kyo nodded and crossed his arms.

"Fair enough, though I must ask, when are we? It has been a wile since I have been in the world."

"This world is much more advanced than yours was. For instance, we call it Tokyo now, not Edo. Second, we no longer travel on horses as often as they did in the past; we have faster forms of transport, such as automobiles and planes."

"What is an automobile?" Kyo looked like a confused child, but that was to be expected.

"What people may describe as a horseless carriage." Sylva piped in, now gotten over his initial shock of the strange ghost in the living room. There was a pounding noise from the door, as if someone was hitting the door with a battering ram. Hao opened the door and Yoh went flying into the room, Anna close behind.

"Anna," Yoh said dizzily, not moving from the ground, "Next time you decide to try to knock down a door, don't use me as a battering ram." And he fell silent.

Amidamaru floated in and stared awestruck at Kyo. Kyo looked back at Amidamaru, looking up and down the other samurai.

"You're him. The great Demon Eyes Kyo. I only heard stories of you and your sword skill. You were the best swordsman of your time, besides from Kyoshiro, the only person to defeat you." Kyo rolled his eyes.

"Kyoshiro Mibu and I can be strangely similar. But over all, Mibu was a fool. He tried to be a medicine peddler. Do you know how many people almost died because of his 'medicine'?" He groaned at the thought. "And you are you? I have never seen a samurai like you."

As the two samurai continued to talk, Anna went into Hao's room and brought out the huge sword, this time making Sylva faint at the object's size. Yoh, who had just gotten up from the floor, looked at the sword, awestruck. Hao, on the other hand, looked furious. He went over and grabbed the sword from Anna.

"Do not touch Tenro," Kyo said, his eyes seemed to flash as he looked to Anna. "Or I will personally kill you with him." Anna glared at the ghost, then a look of realization came to her face.

"Hao, when did you lose the Spirit of Fire?"

All looked to Hao, who sighed, still clutching Tenro. "I lost him as well as a large piece of myself." He sat down, Kyo floating over to him and hovering next to him. "In that final attack you hit me with, with all of that power from everyone else, I was hit with not only their strength, but their bitterness, hatred and despise for me. That surprisingly had a strange effect on me. I lost all my anger for the patch, and though I actually tried to hate them again, I just couldn't. That's why I probably fell into Sylva's confidence so quickly. It wasn't until I woke up after Sylva saved me that I realized that the Spirit of Fire was gone. But I could still feel its presence. I didn't like what I sensed." He paused to take a breath to calm down, then continued. "I felt my own bitterness most of all, but there was a mass of hatred in the Spirit of Fire that I don't think that it can even still be considered the Spirit of Fire. It is more a Spirit of Malice." He looked down, "It's my fault he's like this. It's my fault he is so bitter and angry when he used to be so peaceful."

He was feeling anger towards no one but himself as he clenched his fists and felt his nails pierce skin.

"It's not your fault, Hao. Don't blame yourself for what you had no control over." Yoh sat next ho him and placed a hand on the other's knee. "But we can fix this. You just have to have hope." Yoh smiled at him, and Hao couldn't help but smile back. His brother always knew what to say.

"Hate to bring this up, Master Yoh, but," Amidamaru piped up, "But don't you remember how long it took for you to learn to fight with a sword? Hao is no different, but he is not used to human integration either. He needs to learn, and fast. Time is of the essence and I feel without Kyo and Hao together by then, we will not stand a chance against this Spirit of Malice."

Everyone agreed, then Anna got up, a fire in her eyes. Everyone, besides Hao and Kyo, knew that look.

"Hao, Kyo, welcome to training, don't die too quickly on me." And before either could ask what she meant, she grabbed Hao by his collar and dragged him out the room.

* * *

Across the street, a figure stood watching the events unfold before him. He smiled slyly under his hood. He was suddenly surrounded by a dark mist-like substance and looked behind him. Another figure came up from behind and put a gloved hand on the other's shoulder.

_Master,__what __are __we __going __to __do?__The __one __obstacle __that __is __holding __you __back __is __th-_ the man was stopped by the other raising his hand.

_This __does __not__hing to __our __plans __in __the __least. __In __fact, __it __may __help __us __further __strengthen __my __powers.__If __we __can __get __him __to __despair __more, __then __we __can __ensnare __him __and __have __our __way __with __him __until __he __begs __for __death._ Both figures began to laugh and before they were noticed, they vanished as though they were never there.

* * *

End! Why is it I can conquer plot bunnies miles from the Earth's surface? Well anyway, Hope you all enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!


	7. Fresh Hell

Hey again! Sorry for the longest delay in history! Family stuff came up and it was glorious medical bills raining on us, so I stayed with them for a while… But everything is cool now and I have a wondrous idea for this story (I have been thinking, Oh no!) If this seems like a filler to you, sorry, but it is kinda important if you think about it.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, not even Kyo.

* * *

Chapter 7- Fresh Hell

As soon as Hao was given a fit bill of health from Faust a week later after the scare with Silver Wing and the appearance of Demon Eyes Kyo, who was not a people person in any aspect of the word, Yoh approached his brother, a worried look on his face, though it was well hidden.

"Have you ever worked with a human spirit, Hao?" The two siblings were cleaning pots and pans after breakfast that morning. Faust insisted that Hao start eating easily and so he had just had 3 eggs scrambled with milk.

"Well, I never thought I would in my lifetime, but times change dramatically, I guess." He stopped for a moment and looked out the window to see both Amidamaru and Kyo talking swords- probably boasting about their lifetimes with the sword- then looked to Yoh, "How different can it be?"

Yoh sighed and rubbed a wet hand on the back of his head, "When it comes to Anna, it's significant. She wants to start 'training' you."

Hao had no idea why Yoh had emphasized the word training, but he never trained in his life. In his past life, he had grown up around nature spirits and it became second nature. He knew human spirits were a tad different from natural ones, but if Kyo was anything like Amidamaru, and super old, he shouldn't have a problem, right?

"Just be ready for pain, alright?" Yoh then bowed out of the room, and Anna stepped in.

"You ready for training? I asked Faust, and as long as I go easy, I can train you." She walked up to where he was standing, her usual red bandanna was absent and her arms were folded, one hand playing with her necklace.

Well, she did say she would go easy on him…

"Ok, fine. What ever this training is, I'm sure I can do it. It will be on the easier side, right?" Anna smiled and nodded, turning to leave the room, Hao shivering. That smile couldn't have been a good sign.

* * *

Horohoro, Yoh, Manta, Silva, Faust, and their spirits, in addition to Kyo stared in awe at the so called "easy workout". Anna was working Hao to the ground, making him run, kick, jump, squat, and electric chair for a straight 3 hours.

"What fresh hell is this?!" Kyo stared as Hao was now doing his 10th round of electric chair. "I thought you were going easy on him?"

Anna glared at Kyo and smiled, grabbing him with her beads and effectively tying him up. "Don't worry, you won't be left out for long. TIME!" Hao collapsed to the ground, sweating profusely. "You have an hour break, and then you will try integration with Kyo. I shall chat with Kyo in the mean time."

Hao couldn't move, but grunted saying that he heard. Yoh and Faust carried Hao gently so to not hurt him any more.

"How… was that… easy?" Hao panted as Faust checked his vitals and put a cold towel on his forehead.

"For Anna? That was easy, unfortunately. I get it hard, but you are still healing and new to human soul integration, so it will hurt a bit." Yoh explained as he looked outside to see Anna talking to an even paler Kyo, who also seemed scared for his afterlife.

"What's she… saying?" Hao asked, gaining his breath again. Amidamaru floated over and looked outside.

"She's probably telling him the roles of a spirit like us can do. We can take over a human body; you really have no control to a point. We can do anything, but it takes practice to control urges, and even longer for you two to become one when integrated." Amidamaru monologued as he stared to his older samurai counterpart nod to what Anna was telling him. "This is a first for both of you."

Hao nodded to him and gulped a bit. He didn't know what to expect from this, he had never put a spirit into his very being before, and, to be truthful, he was nervous and not looking forward to it.

An hour flew by quickly and everyone looked to Hao and Kyo, who looked to Anna. Hao clutched Tenro on his hand; it shook a bit from his nervousness, and he gritted his teeth. He dreaded the minutes, and he was not alone. Kyo's right eye was twitching a bit as he, too, dreaded the passing minutes.

"Got it?" Hao didn't even register that she was talking, but found himself nodding anyway. He looked to Kyo; Kyo looked to him. Both sets of eyes, though different, said the same thing.

This is a disaster waiting to happen.

Hao put out his hand and Kyo was now a spirit ball in his hands, and he felt as though the whole world was staring at him. He gulped.

"Just relax, Hao. It's easier to integrate if you do that." Hao heard his brother say, 'Yea, easy for you, but I am not you, Yoh.' He thought to himself. He knew he couldn't waste time, he had to do this.

He brought the spirit orb to his exposed chest and willed the spirit into him.

As soon as he did that, he felt a wave of dread fill him. Visions of war and blood swam before his eyes, the smell of iron filled his nostrils, and a face, not too different from Kyo's own, looked at him. A flash and Hao found himself face first in the dirt. A pair of hands pulled him up gently and let his head lay on their lap.

As he became more aware of his surroundings, he saw it was Sylva's lap he was on. Smiling slightly, he chuckled a bit, "Why are we thrust into these situations?"

"Because you have a dirty mind and I always seem to be saving you in some way." The Patch rolled his eyes, but smiled. Hao slowly sat up to see Kyo was in a similar situation, but the ghosts were hovering over him.

"What happened?" Manta asked as he looked at Hao, who just realized he was covered in a cold sweat.

"I saw a ton of dead bodies, and smelled the blood from them, then saw a man looking at me. He looked like you, Kyo. Who was that?" They all turned to look at Kyo now, who looked stunned, then blinking, scoffed and got up.

"I will not tell the likes of you!" And before anyone could say anything, he floated off. Hao wanted to call him back, but thought it pointless, and got up as well, going inside to be alone.

* * *

Staring at the stars, Hao sat on the rooftop, still thinking on what he saw. Did Kyo have a brother that he was ashamed of? Or was it something else? He couldn't wrap his mind around it, so he stared blankly at the stars, not really taking in their beauty, but loving the scenery all the same.

"Kyoshiro." The word had come out so suddenly that Hao jerked up from his stargazing to see Kyo floating before him.

"What?"

"The face you saw. The man who killed me." Hao nodded, realizing what he was saying. He must have seen it, too.

"Penny for your thoughts?" There was a moment of silence before Kyo sighed and hovered/sat next to him.

"Before I met Kyoshiro, I was well known and feared by all as Demon Eyes Kyo. Many thought I was such- a demon. All I did was kill all who stood in my way. Mibu was the only one strong enough to defeat me. My soul is a coward, Hao. With good reason. I was attached to Mibu for years, I do not wish the same fate again, and I most certainly do not wish it to you." Hao listened to his story. So he was afraid of integration because of that? It seemed small, but then again, he didn't experience it for himself.

"I lived 500 years previous to this day and age. I was once a noble Patch that lived in these lands, but I began to do evil, stray off the desired path of the Patch, so I was banished. I waited 500 years for the next Shaman King Tournament, only to be bested by the boy who I now share blood with, Yoh Asakura. I used to hate the world for what happened to me, but now, it's like that hatred is gone. Even the thought of the past doesn't bring it up again, not that I miss it."

They sat in silence and Hao found himself staring at the stars once more. Even in the past, he never really truly appreciated the beauty around him- which probably led to his downfall. He felt a clammy hand on his shoulder and looked to Kyo.

"Can we try it one more time?" Hao blinked, then realized what he meant. He wanted to try integration again. He thought it would scare him again, but it didn't, why? He'd have to ask Yoh about it later. He stood on the slanted roof and held his hand out once more, summoning Kyo to a spirit orb. He did the same routine as before, but it was different.

Warmth spread from the spot from where Kyo entered his chest and soon he felt as though he was the passenger in his own body. He saw his body move on its own, but he wasn't scared anymore.

They had done it, but what was different?

"You aren't afraid anymore. You got all your insecurities off of your chest and it let you relax more." Hao felt himself turn around to see Yoh, but it also wasn't Yoh, but Amidamaru as well. Yoh was the one that talked, but both were as one.

"How do you do that?" It was Kyo that spoke using Hao's voice, but the same question was thought by Hao. Was it coincidence, or was it due to their form now?

Yoh and Amidamaru chuckled, "Practice, but I don't do this anymore. You see what I do first hand, Hao."

Hao sighed, and Kyo sighed, too. Maybe they were truly one, almost possessed. "Tell us, is it normal to be like this first time?" Yoh just smiled.

"Normally, yes. Humans taking over humans us usually possession, as you may have guessed, but it is also different, since the shaman has willed it. Did it feel warm?" Hao nodded, and Yoh chuckled again. "Then you are close to mastering it already. I guess you can teach old dogs new tricks after all."

Hao just scowled, holding his tongue, Yoh chuckled nervously this time. "Let's go back in, you may want to disengage Kyo from you." He closed his eyes and Amidamaru flew out. "It's the same for all spirits, so you are familiar with how to do it, don't worry."

Hao nodded and, after a little effort, Kyo came out of him. "That is surprisingly… tiring…" He said mid-yawn. Yoh jumped down and Hao after, then walking into the room they all shared, Hao beat Horohoro off the bed and took his place. "Thank you, Yoh." He closed his eyes and found sleep took him quickly.

* * *

Yay! Finished my WAY OVERDUE Chapter… I hate drama… but in writing, it's ok XD

I love that you guys actually read it XD that makes me happy… I may post faster now… I be in a happier place XD


	8. Forlorn Prophecy

Ok, another WAY overdone chapter… I am double majoring so my schedule is hectic… but here I am and I am excited to say I have another chapter for you! Here you go! I am typing like a madwoman here XD

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King or Kyo!

A/N: Because people have been wanting me to, but I am not much of a fan of the ship, I am going to hint to Hao/Silva as being more than friends, but I don't ship it… so hints will do…

* * *

Chapter 8: Forlorn Prophecy

Hao collapsed onto his bed, still drenched in sweat but too tired to take a shower. It had been a month since he finally integrated with Kyo, and now that he was fully healed, Anna "tightened the reigns" as Yoh had put it. Hao didn't know what he had when he did.

A part of him wanted to be mortally wounded again, it would be less painful.

"Master Hao," Kyo said, floating next to the form on the bed. "You need to rest, and a change of clothes. I may be dead and have no sense of smell, but I can look at you and tell you smell." Hao just groaned at the other's obvious attempt at motivating him- which didn't work.

He was so tired that he didn't hear the click of the door behind him and the bed shift slightly under the weight of someone.

"Hao, you smell horrible. I know you're tired, but a hot bath may help your muscles." Silva's voice rang out from next to him. Still Hao didn't move.

"Mmm hmmf wmm te…" Hao's muffled voice said inaudibly, being rewarded with curious looks from both people in the room. Hao shifted his head to look at Silva from where he lay. "I don't want to." A slight collective 'Oh…' filled the room.

"It will help, Hao." Silva got up, and Hao thought he was going to leave him alone to sleep, until Silva grabbed him from his waist and threw him over his shoulder like a potato sack, earning a groan from Hao from the pain radiating from every fiber of his being.

"Silva… not helping!" He complained, but didn't move to get out, since the pain was a little too much.

They reached the bathroom, and to Hao's amazement, the bath was filled with hot water already. "I wasn't going to have a choice, was I?"

Silva chuckled and put him down, "What gave it away?"

"The potato sack throw over the shoulder." Hao crossed his arms in apparent annoyance.

"I see, anyway." He tested the water. "I put some Patch remedies in the water for your muscles. Something familiar, no doubt." He looked to him again, now smirking, "Now will you get in of your own volition or do I have to play mother hen and undress you, too?"

At the comment, Hao flushed with embarrassment and turned away from the Patch. "NO. I AM FULLY CAPABLE OF DOING THAT MYSELF, THANK YOU." Silva chuckled and left the room with a click.

Hao relaxed and pealed his clothes off of his body and stepped into the hot water. As he crouched down, he groaned as his muscles complained, but he welcomed the heat of the bath water and relaxed at the familiar sent of the Patch remedies. Even with the years gone by, the Patch stuck to tradition, and that put a smile on his face.

_At least some things never change…_

As he thought this, the door opened to the bathroom, making Hao jump a mile high. Tao Ren stood at the door, his body as bare as he was the day he was born.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE GREAT ONE ARE YOU DOING, REN?" Hao practically screamed as he covered his eyes and his body the best he could in the tub.

The Chinese Shaman narrowed his eyes and moved into the bathroom, "I was getting changed when I had to use the toilet."

"Could you have at least put pants on before coming in?" Hao's eyes were still covered.

"To take them off again? No. and stop acting like a child, it's nothing you haven't seen before-"

"IT'S NOTHING I WOULD HAVE HAD TO EXPECT BEFORE!" The door opened again and a female voice sounded off this time.

"Ren, its common courtesy to put pants on in the presence of others that aren't your family." Hao dared not uncover his eyes as the woman spoke, not even to find out who it was, not that he had to wait long.

"Jun, you mind your own business-"

"It is very much my business if my little brother refuses to put clothes on in public places!"

Hao listened to this for a couple of minutes until he had had it. "I appreciate this family feud as much as the next, but I am trying to relax. So if you could so much as remove yourself from the bathroom area so I don't have to hear about your problems?" He didn't need to uncover his eyes to tell that Ren was about to argue, but Jun cleared her throat. There were a few foot steps then the door closed.

He relaxed finally, but kept a wary eye on the door. A few minutes passed, then he felt himself drift a little into dream world. His muscles relaxed more and more and he fell into a light sleep.

* * *

_He was engulfed in tight, thick darkness that choked him every time he breathed. Every time he tried to move, what ever was holding him kept him from going anywhere, and ended up making the tightening sensation worse. There was no light to be had, nothing to illuminate where he was. Before he was about to yell for someone, a bright light surrounded him from the core of his being and he was teleported to the Patch Village._

_Instead of what it looked like in current times, it was the way he remembered it from 500 years previous. He saw a form lying unconscious on the ground, one that looked all too familiar. There was a dark shade floating around the figure, which eventually touched him, engulfing the man in a black and purple aura. The scene went black once more._

_He was flying through the air at the fasted he felt he could go, crying out for help. Or so he felt he was. He felt a burning sensation at his foot, turning, not to see a human foot, but an eagle claw holding onto a snake, but there was something else, too. A huge black creature had grabbed the snake and the claw that hurt. He looked into the creatures eyes, and a figure appeared, one that silhouetted the huge beast. It looked just like Hao, but his eyes were red, instead of brown. The skin had cracked around the eyes, showing a black aura peaking through. The smile was almost demonic, and soon the thought of that smile haunted him. What was going on?_

_Blackness engulfed him. He panted on the floor, looking at the bottom of a stand up mirror. Getting up slowly, he looked in the mirror. What he saw was not what he wanted to see. The disfigured version of himself stood before him in the mirror. A piano played in the background, and the figure mouthed something._

_"Mirror, tell me something. Tell me who's the loneliest of all?" The mirror broke; a great wind pushed the shards of glass in Hao's face, knocking him off balance, and he began to fall. He continued to fall, the same piano plucking playing over and over again, the words said by his reflection haunting him._

_The world was engulfed in fire as he continued to fall, unable to stop, but looked to see what was happening. The people around him were either unrecognizable, or too mauled or burned to tell. The smell of sulfur came to him, and he soon saw another familiar form. Yoh stood, bloody and broken, covered in suit. In front of him, the demented Hao and the corrupted fire spirit stood before him._

_"Hao… You don't have to do this! He's… he's messing with you!" a chuckle sounded through the air as a man appeared, shrouded in darkness._

Human, he can no longer hear you. As long as I am here, there is no such thing as Hao. He is my slave, and he does my bidding. _The figure laughed, _And before you know it, what ever was left of this angel will be gone and he will forever serve me!

_The laugh rang out as the world began to grow dark, but not in time for the true Hao to see him run through Yoh, instantly killing him._

* * *

Hao's eyes snapped open. He was still in the bath, but his heart rate had shot up to the 200s. What was that?

He heard a knocking at the door, or rather banging. Hao got out of the water and wrapped a towel around himself. He went to the door, opened it, and Yoh stood at the door, looking worried.

"You've been in there for ages, are you alri-"

Hao clapped his hand over Yoh's mouth. "I must speak to you, but not here."

They sat in silence, Hao sitting still as he contemplated what he had told Yoh, Sylva, Faust, and Manta, who had held onto Yoh as if his life depended on it.

"That's what you saw?" Faust asked as he sat back, processing what he heard. "It's more like a bad dream than anything, but it seems a little to convenient, no?" Yoh sighed.

"We need to figure it out. There's no other way." Yoh said, moving to be besides Hao, dragging Manta along.

"We just have to let things go, until we see something that could lead to that." Sylva suggested, but Hao shook his head.

"We need to find that man." He stood up and looked out the window, "We need to find the Devil."

* * *

And there! A bit of Drama in there for you! Hope you enjoyed!

The Words the reflection come from a song called _Mirror Mirror_ by Jeff Williams


	9. Fight Against Darkness and Time

Wow! Another chapter? I am on a roll XD Let's hop to it!

Disclaimer: I do not own these people!

* * *

Chapter 9: Fight Against Darkness and Time

"Master Hao," Kyo, who was floating next to where Hao slept, spoke with a hurried tone to his voice. "Hao, wake up, will you. Something's going on downstairs."

Hao woke up with a jolt at his words. "What do you mean?" Kyo folded his arms and made a 'hmmf' sound.

"They just said it was urgent. They were hovering around that weird thing Yoh has on his wrist. It was making a noise of sorts before he told me to get you." Hao was now putting on proper pants and hopping out the door.

Again? It's happening again?

* * *

_Three Days Previous…_

Hao sat at the table, looking at the coffee in his hand. He hadn't been able to sleep. The image of that demented form of himself haunted his waking mind. He didn't want to sleep, he couldn't get the image out of his head.

Someone had joined him at the table. He looked up to see none other than Sylva. Just a couple hours before, he had heard about the dream he had. He placed a hand on Hao's that wasn't holding the cup.

"You'll be fine, you have friends to help you. I will help you no matter what." Hao looked to him, sadness laced the brown of his eyes.

"Sylva, you can only imaging what I saw. What I described can't be put into words." There were a few things he had left out, like what the man had said.

_And before you know it, what ever was left of this angel will be gone and he will forever serve me!_

'He called me an angel… But I am no angel…' he suddenly thought of the first part of the dream.

"Sylva, can we talk about a part of the dream at the beginning? With the blackness?" The other nodded, and Hao took in a deep breath, "Remember when I said the light engulfed me? Well… it originated from me… What could that mean?"

Sylva sat back and thought for a moment, but he didn't answer him. A voice from behind him did.

"A light originating from a person could mean any number of things- Purity, sanctity, good intentions. Where did it originate from?" Anna asked as she joined them at the table. Hao wasn't bothered that he hadn't told her of his vision; he just wanted answers.

"The place where the Patch say the soul resides, the core of my being. So just below the heart, but above the stomach; where integration takes place, in other words." He explained this to her and she thought for a moment.

"Maybe you always had good intentions, but the darkness engulfed that part of you. But how did it get there?"

Hao was going to add to that, but a rumble was heard from outside. All three stood up as they sensed a being they had never felt before.

"This can't be good." Sylva summoned his three remaining spirits, since Silver Wing was still out of commission.

"Get the other's going, Anna. Groggy minds can't sense the furioku well enough." Hao said as he grabbed Tenro, attracting Kyo to his side.

They ran outside and looked around. Nothing from what the eyes could see. The chill of the night air bit at Hao's extremities as he drew his sword, not trusting the darkness of the night. The new moon was casting very little light, but the hair on the back of Hao's neck stood on end. Something wasn't right.

_Hello, Hao…_ a voice rang through the air, sending a shiver up his spine. He knew that voice. His grip tightened on Tenro, which didn't go unnoticed by Kyo.

A shadowy figure appeared in front of them, seemingly cloaked in darkness, only his mouth was seemingly visible.

"Who ever you are, leave us alone." Sylva stated, activating his oversouls. The figure just chuckled.

_Your… 'friends' never cease to amuse me, Hao. To think they stand a chance against me._ The figure smiled, which was rather frightening, seeing as his skin was sickly white and his teeth seemed to be filed to points.

"Who are you?" Hao stated, more demanding it rather than asking it. "And why do you want me?" The laughter resonated around them, then Hao felt a cold hand on his shoulder, freezing him in place.

_Master has no need to tell you that, Hao._ The voice was familiar to his ears, and he turned to see a familiar face. It looked just like him, but not like the apparition from his dream, more like a red and black version of himself. It was none other than the Spirit of Malace. So it took on his form, how had it learned to do that?

_Give in to the darkness around you, Hao. Let it swallow you up and consume you. Give in to me, Hao…_ He made to retort back, but suddenly, a familiar tightness came around him. He couldn't move no matter how hard he tried, his body refused his commands.

_Give into the darkness I provide, let it fill you like air, like a life line. Cling to it and never let go…_ his vision started to fade and he felt Tenro leave his fingers, though he didn't hear it hit the floor.

_Give into your new Lord and Master… give into me, __Xipetotec!_ That name! He remembered it from scripture. He gritted his teeth, struggling more to fight off the winning darkness. Xipetotec laughed at his futile attempts of freedom.

'I can't give in… I won't!' He screamed at him, but the hold was strong. 'I can't give in… I can't…' his consciousness began to fade, this wasn't good. But suddenly, he felt a warmth spread through his body from his core. It engulfed him and he let it take over.

He heard yelling and the clanging of metal, screams, gasps, and then that voice, only not in his head.

_How can you do this?! This is impossible!_ Xipetotec yelled at him, anger apparent. Once Hao's surroundings seemed to come back into focus, he noticed everyone was up now, Kyo and Yoh were besides him.

Hao grabbed Tenro from the ground and summoned Kyo to his hand. "I guess all my hope isn't gone yet, Xipetotec." That earned a gasp from Sylva, but there was no time to explain.

He couldn't explain what had happened, but something had brought him out of that darkness, and he didn't care why it worked, but now he was angry for the first time in a while, but not for the same reasons as he had been in the past.

"How dare you hurt my friends, you fiend," He held up Kyo, "And now you will pay." Opposed to what he normally did, which was integration, he tried it to Tenro like he had seen Yoh do so many times. Mana escaped and filled the area, making everyone cover their eyes.

When the dust cleared, Hao stood panting. His oversoul was slim to his arm, protecting what needed to be protected. The aura that was Kyo was red like blood and like Amidamaru's original oversoul, he held the blade in it's teeth, but instead of a normal head, it was a demon's head, eyes glowing dangerously. The blade was encased in the aura, and the effect made it look like blood was dripping off of it.

He raised the blade, his eyes as dangerous as the demon he supposedly controlled. "I won't allow you to hurt these people!" His body began to build up spiritual pressure, collecting it at the blade. But before he could think of launching an attack, Xipetotec growled and faded into the darkness, Spirit of Malice doing the same.

Hao blacked out soon after.

* * *

_Present day…_

It had taken Hao a while to get back on his feet, and since then, Yoh had been receiving messages from the Shaman King officiates about potential threats to the Patch tribe, and the tournament. Many suspected Hao, but those who lived with the former Patch knew differently.

"What did I miss?" Hao said, panting as he entered the room. The room was dead silent, as if they were all mourning a loss.

"Yoh, what is it?" Yoh got up and walked over to Hao.

"First, the damage to Silver Wing was irreversible, and he moved on last night." He looked to Sylva, who was facing away from the group looking out the kitchen window. "He told Silver Wing to do it, to ease his suffering." Hao closed his eyes, hoping the spirit made it passed the Veil alright.

"And second?" Hao didn't want to rush it, but there was a sense of something else was up. Yoh just handed him the Pager and walked away. Hao cautiously read-

"Attention: Today is a day of mourning. As of 5:32 this morning, March 23, 2013, Chief Goldva was found dead, covered in black ooze. If you find the person responsible, kill them on site." Hao looked up in shock once he read it; this could only mean one thing.

"They are sending the Shaman to their death."

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WELL! Two whole chapters in one day! Talk about on a roll! Hope you enjoyed!

Xipetotec is the name of the Aztec God of Pain. I chose that name because it fit in with Hao and Sylva being able to know it, since the Aztecs are pretty well known, as well as their culture, and it fit.


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